Learning to Speak
by KittyAttack
Summary: Tom used to only be able to speak cat, but once he can speak human, everything changes; but will it be enough to keep his only friend?


**A/N: Please excuse any errors; I wrote this on my phone and only phone doesn't like to help me. Enjoy. **

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When he first realizes that he can talk, he can't find the words to explain how happy he is. Maybe he can _finally_ explain to the humans that it _isn't his fault. _It's the mouse's. It's too smart for it's own good. He should know; he's a professional mouse catcher, and he's caught more than he can count. So why can't he catch this one?

So he can't wait to finally explain to them. He's ecstatic, rolling his newfound words in his mouth and smiling when they make sentences. He waits to they get home one late Saturday evening, curled up in his cat bed, the late sun shining on his fur. They enter the house, chatting about something _the finally understands_, smiling and happy. He waits until they're headed to the kitchen to rise, stretch, and follow. Halfway there, he hears the woman scream, and his heart plummets. _That damn mouse_.

He peeks his head into the kitchen, wincing when he sees the cheese scattered across the floor, the broom out and more than a few plates broken. "_Thom-as_!" The call echoes throughout the house and he hangs his head, making his way into the kitchen.

'_Now's my chance_!' He thinks, and he seats himself in front of the humans, mouth open to speak; however, he's immediately shut down by being smacked by the broom several times, causing him to flee in terror. There's pain spread throughout all of his body, but he ignores it, scampering out his small cat door and outside, climbing up a tree. He's thankful it's late in spring, warm enough to be outside but not too hot to be unbearable. He'll wait until the sun dips a little before making his way back inside.

When he's decided it's time, he slips down from the tree with the grace of a cat, slowly slinking through his door and settling into his bed. There's just enough sun left to shine softly on him, and he lets off a rusty purr, falling into sleep.

The next day, he's awoken by the sound of the refrigerator opening, and it's slow, the sound of a mouse rather than his humans. So he stretches, slinking towards the kitchen. There he is, rapidly munching on the cheese from their refrigerator. Tom seats himself in the doorframe, silently watching Jerry finish chunk after chunk. Eventually, the mouse turns around at the feeling of being watched; he sees Tom and immediately tenses up, prepared to run.

"Don't even bother. Just hurry up so I can at least clean up after you," Tom sighs, licking a paw and dragging it over his ears. The mouse paused for a moment, and if he was surprised the spoke, he didn't show it.

"You're not going to chase me?" Jerry questioned, and Tom was unable to hide his own surprise.

"You can talk?"

"Of course I can. Same as you."

"Then why haven't you?"

"Why haven't you?" Tom had to agree it was reasonable. After all, in a game of cat-and-mouse, words weren't needed.

"I suppose that's true," he admitted, twitching an ear. "But yeah, I'm not chasing you. I'm tired. I hurt. If I just clean up after you, I won't get in trouble again, right?" He padded into the kitchen, reaching up and closing the refrigerator door. "Hurry up then."

The mouse glanced at him one more time before stuffing the remainder of the cheese into his mouth and taking off to his own home. With a sigh, Tom swept the remaining pieces of cheese away with his tail before returning to his bed.

For days, Jerry continued his quest for cheese in the kitchen, and each day Tom would return and watch, before cleaning up and returning to his bed. Each time, Jerry ended up taking a little less, Tom being hit every time getting to his conscious.

During one rainy Sunday night, Jerry made his way into the kitchen, looping his hook around the refrigerator door and tugging it open, only to shut it a moment later and wait in front of it. As if on cue, the tom cat made his way into the kitchen, pausing at the doorframe and seating himself. When he noticed that the mouse had nothing in his paws, Tom tilted his head questioningly.

"Where's the cheese, mouse?" The brown mouse shrugged, grinning sheepishly.

"Ya'know Tom? I'm thinking...I'm turning myself in. Catch me." Tom stared blankly, unable to fully comprehend what the mouse was saying.

"...what?" The mouse moves forward, standing close to the tom cat in the first time in too long.

"You heard me. I'm turning myself in. Guess I'm getting bored," he shrugs, grinning sheepishly. Tom feels like he should be happy, but at the same time, he's not. Nevertheless, this is the answer to his problems! No more broom! Peace at last!

"Alright..." he muses, beckoning the mouse with his tail as he makes his way over to a small cage, the perfect size for a mouse. "In you go then." Jerry gives him once last look before crawling into the cage and making himself comfortable the best he could. Tom nods once before shutting the door with both paws, yellow eyes flashing in the setting darkness.

He wakes to the sound of his name being called, his humans waiting at the door with Jerry in the man's hand. He stretching, arching his back high off the ground, before slinking forward, purring and rubbing himself against their legs. The family, if it can be called that, make their way to the car, driving off to the nearest pet store. Tom waits inside the car while they go inside to sell Jerry, and their eyes meet once more before he is gone.

Tom falls asleep that night with a dark feeling in his heart.

A week passes, and each day the darkness fills his heart a little more, and finally he realizes what's wrong; he's _lonely_. He misses Jerry, his only companion. He needs him back. So that night, he sneaks out of the house through his cat door and into the silent night. He knows where the pet store is. He lived there at one point, after all.

There's an open window on the second floor, and a tree right next to it the perfect height. So he makes his way up it, claws sinking into the bark as he climbs, and he reaches his destination within good time. Luckily, the window is open enough to jump in. He jumps, paws scrambling to get him up and in through the window.

Inside is dark, only a few lights lit for the cold-blooded animals. He's a little lost at first, but soon makes his way to the rodents, and the only hard task left is to find Jerry. But then again, Jerry is different, so it shouldn't be that hard. Sure enough, he spots the mouse before long and leaps onto the cage, unsheathing a claw and fiddling with the lock.

"C'mon Jerry, I'm breaking you out." The mouse blinks away, startled at Tom's appearance but nods nevertheless. Within record time, the lock is picked and the cage door is thrown open. Jerry hops out, followed closely by the tom cat.

"Why?" Jerry questions, and Tom bats at him playfully.

"Because I miss you, you little terror. It's lonely without chasing you around. So come on." Jerry smiles, and together they make their way out the window, down the tree, and back home.

The days following are the same as always, the normal cat-and-mouse game they've always done. And Tom couldn't have it any other way.


End file.
